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Stage 10
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Part 2 - The rise and rise of Robert MillarThe race across the Pyrenees turned into a classic. Van Impe took the Aubisque from the leading climbers of the ancien régime and the nouvelle vague - Jiminez of Colombia, Beat Breu (Cilo-Aufina), Samuel Cabrera (Colombia), Jock Boyer (Sem), Edgar Corredor (Colombia), Pascal Simon and Robert Millar of Peugeot, Pedro Delgado of Reynolds – in his first Tour – Renault's Marc Madiot, Delgado's teammate Angel Arroyo, Claude Criquielion of Splendor, Jean-Marie Grezet (Sem), Peugeot's Roche, another in his first Tour and veteran Joop Zoetmelk of Co-op. Yellow Jersied Sean Kelly was already four minutes down, but a terrific descent saw a general regrouping by the first feed. Phil Anderson was also missing from the group; he had been delayed by a crash and then been unable to chase back for fear of leading those rivals still with him back up to the group containing Peugeot's designated leader Simon. Jacques Michaud (Co-op) then attacked to gain a lead of 3'40" at the foot of the Tourmalet from a chasing group comprising Bazzo, Fignon, De Rooy, Veldscholten, Millar, Seznec, Jiminez and Delgado. On the Tourmalet, Jiminez attacked first with Millar, Delgado and Fignon – all four showing no fear in what was for each of them a first ever Tour de France mountain stage – and then finally with just Millar alone. They rapidly caught and dropped Michaud and, near the top, Millar sprinted for the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, before Jiminez went past to take the summit itself. Down to Ste. Marie de Campan – of Eugène Christophe fame – and over the Col d'Aspin a classic pursuit took place: Millar and Jiminez against Delgado, Fignon and Michaud. On the Col de Peyresourde the latter were caught by Pascal Simon and Jean Réné Bernadeau (Wolber), whereupon Delgado attacked with 5km of the climb to go. Up ahead, Millar timed his attack to the last 500m, quickly distancing the tiring Jiminez. After the lightning descent to Luchon and a quick adjustment of his jersey, a delighted Robert Millar picked up his first ever professional victory, 6 hours, 23 minutes and 27 seconds after leaving Pau. Delgado came in just 6 seconds later; Simon was next at 1'13", then Jiminez at 1'30", Corredor at 3'40", Bernadeau at 4'06", Fignon at 4'23" and Michaud at 5'45". Overall, the race had been turned upside down. Pascal Simon now led Fignon by a seemingly safe 4 ½ minutes, with Bernadeau, Kelly – who had lost 10 minutes on the stage – Zoetmelk, Michaud, Madiot, Delgado, Alban (La Redoute) and Anderson following in that order. Millar, meanwhile, was up to 27th, 17'30" down on Simon, and had it not been for the day to Roubaix he would have been lying a comfortable second to his Peugeot roommate. Fully accepting the end of his day in the limelight, he prepared to work tirelessly to defend Simon's lead. Just one day later, he would realise what a ghastly error this was to be. The next day, to Fleurance, had all the hall marks of a day of marking time after the rigours of the Pyrenees. Just 30 kilometres slipped past in the first hour, before Agostinho tried a somewhat tentative attack, with Duclos-Lasalle as the Peugeot watchdog. In the ensuing chase, Agostinho's teammate Boyer became tangled with the Peugeot riders, there was a touch of wheels and down went Bernard Borreau – "le petit frère" – and Yellow Jersey Pascal Simon. Scarcely had the Peugeot riders sorted themselves out, and Ago' been caught, than a mass attack by Renault saw the pace leap to 45kmh. All eventually came to nothing and Régis Clère slipped away for the win, but Simon's problems had multiplied. The crash had left him nursing a broken collar bone – only a hairline fracture, admittedly, but one which made it impossible to ride out of the saddle. Suddenly Anderson's great sacrifice in the Pyrenees – when to protect Simon, he had not chased back after an early crash – was looking to have been in vain. But the greatest madness came the next day. Van Impe attacked after 100 miles with his teammate Franchesini; Van der Poel was next with Millar (once again!) along for the ride. In no time at all, the foursome had gained nearly ten minutes. Yet Peugeot Directeur Sportif Roland Berland told Millar not to work, and with Bernadeau's Wolbers in chase, the group was finally caught with just 7 miles to go – but not before a forty mile chase covered in less than 1 ½ hours across typically heavy southern French roads. Whereupon Kim Andersen slipped away to win from Delgado. Fignon, despite lying second overall, with Millar's presence absolving Peugeot of the duty of chasing – did not bestir his Renault troops, and Graham Jones was not far wrong when he said, "had we [Wolber] not chased, they would have had 20 minutes and Van Impe would have been yellow jersey". And what of Berland – what chauvinism saw him prevent Millar from riding, when Simon clearly would have to climb off the moment the Alps were reached? Henk Lubberding and Pierre LeBigaut won the next two stages, with Lubberding pulling twenty minutes back in the overall over the course of the transition to the Alps after the leading riders called a truce over Simon's shoulder. Millar, meanwhile, had taken a temporary hold on the Mountain's jersey - a first for British cycling - and being now just 16 minutes behind Simon and 12 behind Fignon overall, was clearly the outstanding rider of the Tour's second week. The final week involved a mountain time trial on the Puy de Dôme, a day of moyenne montagne, two major mountain stages to l'Alpe d'Huez and Morzine, a second mountain time trial to Avoriaz, a long run to Dijon followed by yet anothet time trial - flat this time, but 50km long - and finally two stages around Paris to complete the buckle. Plenty left to play for, then, in the overall and the mountains competition - Kelly looked sure enough in green - with the only certainty that Simon must succemb to the inevitable sooner rather than later. Other Parts:
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